Load bracing bar



March 1 0, 1953 I D. w. JORDAN LOAD BRACING BAR Filed April 21, 1949 JNVENTOR. P012557 W JoRDA V BY Patented Mar. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE LOAD BRACING BAR Application April 21, 1949, Serial No. 88,721

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to extensible load or cargo bracing bars of the type wherein a pair of telescoped tubes are forced to extend to impinge the walls of a cargo truck by means of a toggle lever, and the objects of the present invention are to provide improvements whereby the application of the bracing bar to the work to be done is greatly facilitated and the operation of the toggle joints of the bar is more efiective and cannot accidentally be released, as by the surging of the cargo.

Other features and advantages of the improved construction will appear in the accompanying drawings and in the following description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the bracing bar shown locked in partially extended position as if in place between the side walls of a cargo or freight holding compartment.

Fig. 2 is a front side view of the bar of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of Fig. 2 taken along the line 3-3 thereof.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section of Fig. 2 taken alon the line 3-4 thereof.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section of Fig. 2 taken along the line 5-5 thereof.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section of Fig. 2 taken along the line B-6 thereof.

Fig. 7 is a bottom view of Fig. 1 showing the ends or" the bar constructed with the toggle joint released to reveal the toggle locking slot in the outer slidable section of the bar.

The bracing bar may broadly be stated to comprise a pair of tubular sections, one telescoped within the other and projecting therefrom (and which inner one may be solid) so as to form an extensible bar, toggle means for forcing the sections to extended position, and wall gripping pads at the outer ends of the telescoped assembly.

In the drawings the cargo container walls between which the bar of Fig. l is extended are respectively numbered 6 and 1. The outer tubular section of the bar is l3 and the inner one II. The wall gripping pads are respectively I 8 and It and preferably made of tough rubber or felt, though they may be of metal with somewhat sharper teeth 59 than shown. These pads are preferably tightly mounted in metal cups l6 and I! provided with shanks 5i suitably bolted to the ends of the tubular members as at 52, or otherwise preferably removably secured in place.

The toggle means for spreading the telescopic tubes is a double one with a pair of toggle links on opposite sides of the, bar assembly (top and bottom sides). One pair of toggle links is numbered 22 and 32 and the opposite pair 23 and 33, links 32 and 33 on opposite sides of the bar being cross connected over the bar by a rigid yoke member 3i and the inner ends of the links of each side of the bar are pivoted together as at M and d8 respectively to form the toggle knees, and the remote ends of the two pairs of links are respectively pivoted to the small tube II as at 31 and to a rider on the large tube [3 at 21, all so that both sets of toggle links may be operated as a unit when using the yoke as a handle.

The ends of the toggle links 22 and 23 are pivoted at 2'! to a rider or sliding block which is slidably mounted on tube l3 and formed with sockets 55 to receive the ends of the links and limit their movement when the toggle is released (see Fig. 3 at 6B).

Sliding block 65 is also formed with a wide internal passage 61 which straddles a ratchet bar 63 secured to the outer. side of outer tube l3 and which ratchet bar is provided with teeth 69 which cooperate with a spring pawl 10 pivoted at H to the sliding block and the inner end 12 of which pawl engages the teeth in a manner to permit the telescoped sections H and [3 to be extended yet stop them from return movement unless the outer free end 10 of the pawl is tripped as by pressure of a finger. A small coil spring indicated at T3 urges the pawl to normally engage the ratchet teeth. This spring reacts against a screw 73.

The inner end of the ratchet bar is widened to provide shoulders 14 forming a, final stop against block $5 in sliding the large tube l3 outwardly to extend or lengthen the bar.

Toggle links 32 and 33 are of L cross section (see Fig. -6) to provide elongated wings 32' and 33' to facilitate pushing the toggles to closed position, though the yoke 3| may also be pushed against, and the yoke is preferably provided with a ring E5 or other suitable finger grip for pulling out the links to release the toggles.

While yoke 3| may bear against the tube I3 when the toggles are locked I prefer to provide a positive lock inthe form of a spring pin 16 (see Fig. 4) which engages a groove or slot 71 extending longitudinallyin the outer side of tube I3, as this arrangement automatically locks the toggles at the point of maximum pressure with out passing over center'to slacken off slightly as heretofore required. I

Spring pin 16 is slidably mounted in a boss 78 secured to the outer side of one of the toggle links (23) and thei-p'ini provided with-a knob 3 79 for pulling it outward a limited amount to withdraw its inner end from the slot. The actuating spring for the pin is indicated at Bil in Fig. 4.

Instead of the spring pin just described it is obvious without additional drawings that the inner end of the pin 16 may simply be secured to the link and the springiness of the link would snap it into the slot like a spring detent, and the link could be pried up to release the pin, or the knob 19 simply fixed to the link would serve for pulling the link outward to release the detent and collapse the toggle.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 3 it will be noted that sliding block 85 is quite thin on the back or cargo side of the bar (upper side in Fig.1) to be substantially as flush with the bar, as are the end pads, so a to permit the bar to substantially contact the cargo from end to end of the bar.

With the above description the operation of the apparatu will beeasily understood, it being only necessary to release the toggles, pull out the telescopic sections until the end pads are tight against the opposite walls of the truck, railway car, or other cargo container, and while the ratchet holds the bar in place push the toggles inward toward the cargo by pressing on the side wings 32, 33' and/or the yoke 31 to straighten the toggles, and pinlfi snaps into the locking groove TI.

Havingthus described my improvements in an extensible load bracing bar of this type what I claim is:

1. In an extensible load bracing bar of the type comprising two telescoped tubular members with wall gripping pads atv their outer ends and toggle means for forcing the section outward "for extending the bar, the improvement which comprises said sections provided with ratchet means for extending and contracting the overall length of the bar independently of said toggle means, said ratchet means including a. block slidably carried on the outer of the telescoped tubular members, a rack along the outer tubular member fixed thereto and freely straddled by said block, a spring actuated pawl carried by said block engaging said rack, and said toggle means comprisin a pair of toggle links pivotally connected at one end with the slidable block and at the opposite end pivoted to the inner one of the tubular members.

2. In a structure as set out in claim 1 said rack provided with an abutment positively limiting the outward movement of the telescoped members with respect to said slidable block.

3 In an extensible load bracing bar of the type comprising two telescoped tubular members with wall gripping pads at their outer ends and toggle means for forcing the sections outward for extending the bar, the improvement which comprises said sections provided with ratchct means for extending and contracting the overall length of the bar independently of said toggle means, said toggle means comprising'toggle links pivoted together at one end to form the toggle knee and pivoted at their remote ends respectively to one of said telescoped members, and at the opposite end pivoted to a block slidably carried on the other of said members and means for locking said block at any. desired point therealong.

4. In an extensible load bracing bar of the type comprising two telescoped tubular members with wall gripping pads at their outer ends and toggle means for forcing thesectionsoutward for extending the: bar. the improvement. which comprises said sections provided with ratchet means for extending and contracting the overall length of the bar independently of said toggle means, said toggle means comprising toggle links pivoted together at one end to form the toggle knee and pivoted at their remote ends respectively to one of said telescoped members and at the opposite end pivoted to a block slidably carried on the other of said members and means for looking said block at any desired point therealong, and means automatically positively locking said toggle means against either way of movement when the toggle links are straightened.

5. In an extensible load bracing bar of the type comprising two telescoped tubular members with wall gripping pads at their outer ends and toggle means for forcing the sections outward for extending the bar, the improvement which comprises said sections provided with ratchet means for extending and contracting the overall length of the bar independently of said toggle means, said toggle means comprising toggle links pivoted together at one end to form the toggle knee and pivoted at their remote ends respectively to one of said telescoped members and at the opposite end pivoted to a block slidably carried by the other of said members and means for locking said block at any desired point therealong, and means automatically positively locking said toggle mean against either way of movement when the toggle links are straightened, comprising a recess formed in one of said members and a spring detent carried by the toggle links arranged to snap into the recess when the toggle links are straightened.

6. In an extensible load bracing bar of the type comprising two telescopcd tubular members with wall gripping pads at their outer ends and toggle means for forcing the sections outward for extending the bar, the improvement which comprises said sections provided with ratchet means for extending and contracting the overall length of the bar independently of said toggle means, said toggle means comprising toggle links pivoted together at one end to form the toggle knee and pivoted at their remote ends respectively to one of said telescoped members and at the opposite end pivoted to a block slidably carried by the other of said members and means for locking said block at any desired point therealong, and means automatically positively locking said toggle means against either way of movement when the toggle links are straightened, comprising a recess formed in one of said members and a spring detent carried by the toggle links arranged to snap into the recess when the toggle links are straightened, said detent provided with a finger operated release to withdraw the detent for unlocking the toggle.

7. In an extensible load bracing bar of the type comprising two telescoped tubular members with wall gripping pads at their outer ends and toggle means for forcing the sections outward for extending the bar, said toggle means including two pairs or toggle links arranged respectively along opposite outer sides of the bar assembly and pivoted at their outer ends to react respectively against the inner and outer telescoped tubular members and cross connected over the bar by a yoke for simultaneously operating both sets of toggle links, the improvement which comprises side flanges formed on at least two of the oppositely disposed toggle links extending substantially at right angles to the plane of the links to. provide" a surface to press against in forcing thelinksto locked position.

8. In an extensible load bracing bar of the type comprising two telescoped tubular members with wall gripping pad-s at their outer ends and toggle means for forcing the sections outward for extending the bar, said toggle means including two pairs of toggle links arranged respectively along opposite outer sides of the bar assembly and pivoted at their outer ends to react respectively against the inner and outer telescoped tubular members and cross connected over the bar by a yoke for simultaneously operating both sets of toggle links, the improvement which comprises a hand grip formed on the outer part of said yoke.

9. In an extensible load bracing bar of the type comprising two telescoped tubular members with wall gripping pads at their outer ends and toggle means for forcing the sections outward for extending the bar, said toggle means including two pairs of toggle links arranged respectively along opposite outer sides of the bar assembly and pivoted at their outer ends to react respectively against the inner and outer telescoped tubular members and cross connected over the bar by a yoke for simultaneously operating both sets of toggle links, the improvement which comprises a finger gripping loop formed on the outer part of said yoke.

DORSEY W. JORDAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 923,463 Taylor June 1, 1909 945,334 Lent Jan. l, 1910 964,3Q5 Oliver July 12, 1910 11763334: Bunker June 10, 1930 

